The present invention relates to a content output apparatus such as a television receiver, which outputs content including audio/video signals, etc.
In recent years, audio/video (AV)-related apparatuses for domestic use have diversified and have come into wide use. By way of example, it is general to connect a large number of AV apparatuses, such as a video cassette recorder, hard disk recorder, DVD recorder and domestic game machine, to a television receiver.
In such a situation, in a case, for example, where a user wants to view content recorded on a DVD, the user first manipulates the television receiver so as to select an input signal from the DVD recorder. Subsequently, the user manipulates the DVD recorder and causes it to display the list of content recorded on the DVD. Further, the user selects the desired content and causes the DVD recorder to play back the selected content. This is inconvenient for the user for such reasons that the user needs to manipulate the corresponding AV apparatus on each occasion, and that the user needs to perform the manipulation of changing-over input signals in the television receiver.
Incidentally, JP-A-2001-176249 discloses a technique wherein, in a television receiver having a built-in video CD playback apparatus, when the video CD playback apparatus has been selected by a user, a drive control is performed for the video CD playback apparatus, and simultaneously, the input switch of video signals is thrown onto the side of the video CD playback apparatus.